Dunedin city councillor Russell Lund and Southern Heritage Trust spokeswoman Jo Galer present their submissions on proposed seismic changes to the transport and infrastructure select committee in Wellington yesterday. Photo: ScreenshotDunedin risks the "perverse outcome" of losing its characteristic heritage buildings unless the government relaxes incoming seismic changes, a pair of advocates say. Southern Heritage Trust spokeswoman Jo Galer and Dunedin city councillor Russell Lund spoke in a select committee hearing today, urging the government to abandon plans to reclassify Dunedin and coastal Otago from low-risk to a "medium seismic zone". "The practical effect of this reclassification is to expose owners to assessments and higher compliance costs that would not apply if Dunedin remained low seismic risk," Ms Galer said. Cr Lund said the legislation would compel full retrofits of an estimated 100 buildings in Dunedin, many of which were "effectively vacant or significantly underused".
